Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sorath 07-17-07, 08:26 AM	When you score a critical hit while using power attack, is the power attack damage multiplied as well like strength?
Frugal 07-17-07, 08:35 AM	Yes, the general rule of thumb (with very few exceptions) is that anything that's a fixed bonus is multiplied while anything that's a variable (die roll) bonus doesn't. So +2 would multiply, +2d6 wouldn't. Also note that the rules on critical hits don't say that you multiply the damage, you simply roll it more times (twice for a x2 crit, 3 times for x3 crit, etc). I know a lot of groups do just multiply since it's faster so just be consistent with it. Multiplying makes things more random (a poor roll will mean a bad crit, a good roll will give a brutal hit) while rolling the damage multiple times will tend to skew things more toward an average amount of damage.
Sorath 07-17-07, 09:03 AM	Is that rule of thumb published anywhere like the FAQ? My DM likes to see published rules on things so that it avoids any differences in interpretation. I agree with you though. As far as multiplying goes, we always roll the damage multiple times based on the crit multiplier. But with regards to the power attack damage, it is the same thing. Thanks,
Inigo Carmine 07-17-07, 09:12 AM	Is that rule of thumb published anywhere like the FAQ? My DM likes to see published rules on things so that it avoids any differences in interpretation. Yes, in the Player's Handbook. Combat Chapter. Multiplying Damage: Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. Note: When you multiply damage more than once, each multiplier works off the original, unmultiplied damage. Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are never multiplied.
Nightshade 07-20-07, 03:51 PM	double post
Nightshade 07-20-07, 03:51 PM	I think you are reading the quote incorrectly. It states that you roll the damage die the number of times that the multiplier indicates and then add them together. The Weapon's dice damage gets rolled and added together. The Exception refers to extra damage dice, which are not multiplied. Extra damage dice includes, but is not limited to, Sneak Attack damage, Fire sword damage, psionic weapon feat damage, etc. Here's an example: Huug, the Human Fighter is in combat with Hobgobby, the Hobgoblin Rogue. Huug has a Longsword +1 (1d8 damage) that ignites in flame (for an extra 1d6 damage) and he has a Str of 16 for +3 to damage (+4 total including magic bonus). Huug rolls a natural 20 with his flaming sword, and confirms the crit. So, instead of rolling 1d8, he rolls 2d8 and then adds both a +4 to damage from magic and Str and then rolls 1d6 extra damage from the flaming sword. Hobgobby the Rogue manages to have a friend attack Huug from behind. Thus Huug is flanked and gets his sneak attack damage dice (for ease, let's say it's 1d6). He strikes with his shortsword, rolls a natural 20, confirms the crit. Hobgobby then rolls 2d6 for the shortsword in damage due to the critical, adds any STR modifer, and then adds the extra Sneak Attack damage dice last for another 1d6. The only thing that gets "multiplied" are the number of dice damage that a weapon normally inflicts. [Edit: my group has never played that Power Attack damage gets added in as a multiplier but it is ambiguous. The 'With all modifiers' parenthetical comes before the wording, 'add them together' so it may mean that it does get doubled. My group has never played it that way, however.] Yes, in the Player's Handbook. Combat Chapter.
fukifino 07-20-07, 04:44 PM	The Crit Hit sidebar on 140 of the PHB says: A critical hit means that you roll your damage more than once, with all your usual bonuses, and add the rolls together. The way this sentence is constructed implies you add the bonuses for each roll. The extra damage, above and beyond the damage of the weapon (ie. magic and strength bonus) is one of the only ways a melee weapons damage scales, and as such, not adding it in during a critical doesn't make much sense for higher level characters. Additionally, in the glossary, under "critical hit (crit)" (PHB 306) it states: Critical hit damage is usually double damage, which means rolling damage twice, just as if the attacker had actually hit the defender two times. Again, this implies you add all modifiers (with the exception of extra damage dice, which it secifically excludes) for each roll you make on the critical damage roll.
Frugal 07-20-07, 05:13 PM	Well here's the primary rule source: Multiplying Damage Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. Note: When you multiply damage more than once, each multiplier works off the original, unmultiplied damage. Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are never multiplied. Note that all modifiers are added in and the only exception is extra dice.